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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRB 2023-10-02 Minutes MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS HELD IN THE CITY HALL 4301 CITY POINT DRIVE OCTOBER 2, 2023 REGULAR MEETING A. CALL TO ORDER Chair Copeland called the meeting to order October 2, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Present: Vanessa Copeland, Chair, Place 4 Tracye Lewis, Vice-Chair, Place 1 Kate Beck, Board Member, Place 2 Russ Mitchell, Board Member, Place 3 Jack McCarty, Board Member, Place 5 Brad Evans, Board Member, Place 6 Ricky Rodriguez, Board Member, Place 7 Sammy Robison, Alternate Staff Members: Adrien Pekurney, Director Tanner Arwine, Assistant Director Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Director Michael Wilson, Park Planning Manager Frank Perez, NRH2O General Manger Cindy Dobbs, Office Coordinator A.1 PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no requests to speak from the public. B. ACTION ITEMS B.1 APPROVE MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 7, 2023 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING APPROVED October 02, 2023 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 6 A MOTION WAS MADE BY BOARD MEMBER MITCHELL, SECONDED BY VICE-CHAIR LEWIS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 7, 2023 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING. MOTION TO APPROVE CARRIED 7-0. C. DEPARTMENT UPDATES C.1 NRH2O FAMILY WATER PARK UPDATE Mr. Frank Perez, NRH2O General Manager provided an update on activities at NRH2O Family Waterpark. -After a slow start, NRH2O had a great year ending with the second highest revenue total in park history. June and July saw the second-best monthly revenue totals in the history of the park. -Doggie Beach Bash was held on September 23. It was a highly attended event with approximately 1000 humans and 800 dogs participating. -Year End Park Awards were held on September 17th. The awards are determined by guests, team members and management. -Mr. Perez presented a presentation on the new attraction, Nitro Blast, which will replace the Green Extreme ride that has been in place for 25+ seasons. Nitro Blast will be able to accommodate more rides per hour at three times the amount. There will be a tremendous electrical savings with the new attraction, estimated at $60,000 savings per year. Overall savings is estimated to be $111,000 per year when you factor in electricity, repairs, rafts and staffing. Board Member McCarty asked if two people can ride at a time; Mr. Perez replied yes they can. Chair Copeland asked if a single person can ride in a double boat; yes they can. Chair Copeland verified that the Green Extreme has been in place for 26 year. Mr. Perez confirmed that is was built in 1998. Chair Copeland asked Mr. Perez if he thought that the Nitro Blast will last as long as the Green Extreme. He is hopeful that it will. Other attractions at NRH2O have lasted 20+ years and is confident that the Nitro Blast will do the same. Board Member Robison asked if the Green Extreme can be recycled in any way. Mr. October 02, 2023 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 6 Perez stated that there are extensive liability issues when it comes to repurposing the slide to another park and due to the age, that would not be an option. However, there will be various parts that can be reused within the park. C.2 PARKS CAPITAL PROJECTS UPDATE Mr. Michael Wilson, Park Planning Manager, provided an update and a visual presentation on Parks Capital Projects. -Dr. Pillow Playground is in the process of being replaced. Additional picnic tables will be added and shade will be placed over the playground itself. -Green Valley Park Safety Fence and Drainage Improvements was delayed due to a change order on the fencing portion of the project. -Green Valley Raceway Historical Area is awaiting artwork after multiple reviews. Mr. Wilson has been hearing from the public with interesting stories of their own about the days when the raceway was operational. C.3 PARKS MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS UPDATE Mr. Tanner Arwine, Assistant Director, provided an update and visual presentation on parks maintenance and operations. -Staff has begun vegetation management at the Lakes of Hometown. -Tipps Canine Hollow Dog Park was closed for about two weeks while staff performed much needed maintenance and repairs. Turf care included weed treatments, fertilization, etc. Irrigation was also added on the east side of the park where there was not any before. -Infrastructure maintenance was recently done on the front dock at Green Valley Park. Research is being done for a possible fiberglass decking replacement in the future, but this will depend on cost and anticipated longevity. -Water fountains have been replaced at Walker's Creek Park. Bottle fillers are part of the new fountains that are being installed, which is a popular feature. -Athletic field maintenance is taking place which includes adding rye grass seed, mowing, painting lines and dragging infields. -It was discovered two weeks ago that six bleachers were stolen. Chair Copeland inquired as to which park this happened. Mr. Arwine confirmed it was at Green Valley October 02, 2023 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 6 Park. -Game cameras were installed at Richfield, Northfield and Green Valley Parks to monitor usage of tennis/pickleball courts. There was a recent park amenity request to convert four courts at Northfield Park to pickleball courts. Board Member Rodriguez asked if players need to check in or is it first-come, first-served. Mr. Arwine stated that it is first-come, first-serve. The players have a paddle system in which they rotate and take turns. -Other upcoming maintenance items in the new fiscal year include: concrete repairs; tree pruning/fence line vegetation control; tree, shrub and sod installation; Cottonbelt Trail drainage project. Chair Copeland addressed the issues at Green Valley Park in recent years and asked if there are any plans to install cameras. Mr. Arwine said that cameras have been discussed but cost is a factor and there would be no guarantee that it would aid in catching the person responsible. The inexpensive game cameras may be used on a trial basis in areas where there are issues. Ms. Pekurney mentioned that there is no site that has Wi-Fi which is needed to accommodate a viable surveillance system. She has been in contact with NRH PD to gather more information on the Flock Camera system as a possible option in the future. Staff does address these issues quickly as they arise, such as removing graffiti. Mr. Arwine added that vandalism happens at some parks more than others and it also seems to be seasonal. Board Member McCarty recommended Trex for the decking. He has used it in the past and it has held up well. Mr. Arwine said that he will look into that. Board Member Mitchell asked about placing empty police cars or signs that state there is a security system in certain areas to deter the vandalism. Mr. Arwine said that they do not want to give anyone a false sense of security. Ms. Pekurney added that the best deterrent is the public communicating with the city when something occurs. Board Member Robison asked about a community awareness campaign to give the public a better way to communicate non-emergency situations. Ms. Pekurney said that staff will look into that. C.4 NRH CENTRE, GRAND HALL, ATHLETICS, SENIOR CENTER, RICHLAND TENNIS CENTER, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES UPDATE Mr. Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Director, presented an update and visual presentation on activities at the NRH Centre, Grand Hall, Senior Center, Richland Tennis Center, as well as programs and services. October 02, 2023 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 6 -Memberships at the NRH Centre will finish the fiscal year on a high note with a record year in revenue. -Aquatics is having their best year since 2020 with a high number of aquatic parties. Concession sales have also increased at the NRH Centre as they conclude the strongest concession sales year to date. Youth programming has also increased by 22% over last year. -Mr. Evangelista shared drone footage taken at the NRH Centre that will be used for a promotional video. -Leagues and athletics have had a great year. Softball is down a bit from previous years. Umpire and officials' fees have played a role in this. The first pickleball league started in September and it was sold out in six hours. They are looking to add more dates to accommodate the requests. -NRH Senior Center recently celebrated National Senior Center Month in September. There are multiple ways for the members to get engaged with trips and various other activities. -Richland Tennis Center had a record year in revenues. Staff was able to take one of the junior tennis teams to New Braunfels to participate in a tournament. -Grand Hall Lobby Art Exhibition features twelve artists from the area that is currently on display. -Live music will return in the fall with events at the City Hall Plaza. Memphis Soul along with light show will take place on Saturday, October 7 and then Texas Flood will perform on Thursday, October 12. Other upcoming events include: -NRH Veteran's Day Celebration - Friday, November 10 -NRH Christmas Tree Lighting - Thursday, November 30 -Run Run Rudolph Family Fun 5K Run/Walk - Saturday, December 9 -Sounds of the Season with Texas Guitar Society - December 14 D. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS D.1 COMMUNITY SERVICE MONTHLY REPORTS (JULY &AUGUST) PARK AND RECREATION BOARD UPDATES (AUGUST) There are no other informational items. October 02, 2023 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 6 E. ADJOURNMENT Chair Copeland adjourned the meeting at 7:01 p.m. U � / Vandssa Copeland, Chair ATTEST: Cindy Dobbs, Office Coo orator October 02, 2023 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 6